


For My Brother

by NATFreak



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Family, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-09-30 14:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17225762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NATFreak/pseuds/NATFreak
Summary: After being rescued by Gandalf the Grey from a horrible wagon crash that leaves her orphaned, a young hobbit named Emily is taken in by Bilbo Baggins and his nephew Frodo. For ten years they live in happiness until the Fate of the Ring is placed upon Frodo and Emily decides to do everything within her power to protect her brother as they are caught up in the Battle for Middle Earth.





	1. A Party to Remember

Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR. I do own Emily.

 

**A/N: Welcome to the first chapter of my first ever _Lord of the Rings_ fanfic based off of The _Fellowship of the Ring_ movie where I will introduce my OC whom I hope you enjoy. So without further ado, I turn it over to my Emily. Enjoy! **

“How does it always take you a long time to get ready?” her brother inquired exasperatedly as he stood in the doorway of her bedroom with his arms folded against his chest. “Honestly, Emily. We are going to miss surprising Gandalf if you take any longer.”

 

Emily rolled her brown eyes at his reflection in her full-length mirror. “Frodo Baggins, you and I both know you are exaggerating. Besides, today is a special day so I have to look my best.”

 

“You are not going to all this trouble because today is Uncle’s, and my, birthday,” Frodo shot back, smirking slightly. “You are doing this to obtain Pippin’s affection.”

 

Emily blushed but did not respond. He was right, of course. The female hobbit was going to extreme lengths to appear as beautiful as possible to attract the attention of Peregrin Took who she was smitten with.

 

“Out of all of the hobbits you could have chosen to win over, you had to pick that Fool of a Took, for what else could he be but a fool to not realize how you feel about him?” murmured Frodo, shaking his dark curly hair. “He is clearly not worthy of you, Em.”

 

“You are my brother. You are supposed to say that,” replied Emily as she finished brushing her long curly brown hair and tied it back with a blue ribbon which matched her dress. She then turned to face her brother with a small smile. “Well, what are you waiting for? We have to hurry if we are going to catch Gandalf.”

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

The two hobbits raced out the door, only sparring a moment to allow Emily to give their uncle a kiss and wish him a happy birthday.

 

“Thank you, my dear,” said Bilbo, patting her hand which rested on his left shoulder. “Your love and beautiful smile warm an old hobbit’s heart.”

 

Emily’s smile faltered slightly in concern at the worried look on Bilbo’s face but did not have the time to ponder further as she and Frodo hurried on to the woods where they would wait for Gandalf to arrive.

 

“Do you truly believe all of my efforts are in vain?” Emily asked Frodo as they sat down on the grass and leaned against two mighty oak trees facing each other. “When it comes to Pippin, I mean.”

 

Frodo considered his sister over the edge of the book he had been reading. “You care about him a great deal, don’t you?”

 

Emily nodded, playing with a blade of grass. “He is always so kind to me and makes me laugh especially when I am feeling upset or angry.”

 

“True but I still say he is a fool for not realizing how you feel about him,” he declared, returning his gaze to his book. “It is plain to all the other residents of the Shire including Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Uncle Bilbo, and yours truly.”

 

Emily flushed. “Are you saying I am one of the topics of gossip around here?”

 

Frodo sighed, placed a marker in his book, and closed it. “Unfortunately, my dear sister, you have been the subject of many conversations in the Shire since the day Gandalf brought you here and Uncle took you in.”

 

Emily grimaced, berating herself for believing the villagers had lost interest in her. _The Shire is a quiet, peaceful place where much stays the same and anything out of the ordinary rarely happens such as Uncle Bilbo and his journey to the Lonely Mountain where he encountered the mighty dragon Smaug sixty years ago. Whereas I lost both my mother and my father in a terrible wagon crash and was discovered by Gandalf the Grey who had been passing by and took me to Uncle Bilbo nearly ten years ago._

“No wonder Uncle said he and I had more in common than I thought,” she murmured, smiling. “There are worse things.”

 

“Indeed,” agreed Frodo, smiling back. The hobbit then grinned as he heard a familiar voice. He bounded to his feet and ran in the direction the voice was coming from with his sister close behind him. The siblings arrived at the edge of the woods and stopped where it met the rood as a seemingly harmless old man wearing a grey cloak and pointy hat drove towards them in his wagon. “You’re late.”

 

The driver had his horse come to a halt and stared at the two hobbits under his bushy eyebrows. “A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to!”

 

The three of them continued to stare each other down until Gandalf smiled and laughed causing the hobbits to chuckle too.

 

“It’s wonderful to see you Gandalf!” Frodo exclaimed, launching himself at the elderly wizard who caught him and embraced him.

 

“You didn’t think I’d miss your uncle’s birthday, did you?” he inquired before glancing up at Emily with a kind smile. “And how is dear Emily? Still chasing after that Fool of a Took, no doubt.”

 

“I missed you too, Gandalf,” she replied as Frodo made room for her so she could step into the wagon and hug the wizard. “Uncle will be delighted you are here.”

 

“How is the old rascal?” asked Gandalf as they continued onwards to Bag End. “I hear this party is going to be of some significance.”

 

“You know Bilbo, he has the whole place in an uproar,” Frodo told him as they passed by where the celebration was going to be held. “Half the Shire’s been invited.”

 

“Uncle has been acting peculiarly of late,” Emily added worriedly.

 

“Oh really?” murmured Gandalf.

 

“You know something, don’t you?” she guessed. The old man merely grumbled unintelligibly. “Fine then, keep your secrets.”

 

Frodo nodded. “Before you came along, Gandalf, we Baggins were very well thought of. Never did anything out of the ordinary or went on any adventures.”

 

“If you’re referring to the incident with the Dragon, I was barely involved,” argued Gandalf. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door.”

 

Emily laughed while Frodo smiled good naturedly. “Whatever you did, you’ve been officially labeled as a disturber of the peace.”

 

The old man cocked a grey eyebrow and glanced at a couple tending to their garden. The husband raised his head and scowled at him as a group of children suddenly appeared behind Gandalf’s wagon begging for him to set off one of his fireworks. Naturally the wizard obliged causing the young ones to squeal with joy making him chuckle.

 

 _Everyone loves Gandalf’s fireworks_ , thought Emily as she and Frodo stood up.

 

“Gandalf, I’m glad you’re back,” said Frodo.

 

“I hope you decide to stay a while,” added Emily before following her brother onto a nearby hill. “I would have liked to stay with him longer but there’s still work to be done if the party is to occur this evening.”

 

“Why don’t you let me handle the rest of the preparations?” suggested Frodo. “You’ve already accomplished a great deal.”

 

“I could not allow you to do that,” she replied. “This is your birthday party, after all.”

 

“Emily, my sister, look behind you,” he advised her with a knowing smile. “There is someone who you would rather spend time with striding towards you.”

 

The female hobbit’s brown eyes widened in understanding as she turned around to see Pippin Took strolling up the hill.

 

“Hullo, Emily,” Pippin greeted her warmly as he reached them. “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to my favorite fishing spot.”

 

“What about Merry?” inquired Frodo.

 

Pippin shrugged. “I offered but he claimed he had other matters he needed to attend to.”

 

Emily’s heart skipped a beat as heat threatened to flush her face. She had never done anything with Pippin without Merry tagging along so the thought of just the two of them doing something even as simple as fishing made her both excited and nervous at the same time.

 

“Unless you do not want to,” murmured Pippin, his smile fading.

 

Emily shook her head. “I would be honored to join you.”

 

Pippin grinned and offered her his arm. “Shall we, milady?”

 

“Have a good time, you two,” said Frodo, watching his sister take the Fool of a Took’s arm. “Make sure you remember to return in time for the celebration.”

 

“We will,” promised Emily. _And thank you, Frodo._

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

“Right down here, milady,” said Pippin as he led her down a hill that had become muddy after last night’s rain. The Fool of a Took did not seem to mind though as he bounded down its side with a grin. Emily traversed the slope more carefully since she was afraid of tripping on her skirt.

 

 _The last thing I need to do is roll down this unstable landscape and ruin my dress in front of him,_ she thought but about halfway down the female hobbit lost one of her shoes in the mud, tripped over the skirt of her dress, and tumbled down the hill. She even managed to knock over Pippin who landed on top of her when they reached the bottom.

 

“Are you alright?” he asked her.

 

Emily nodded, her face thoroughly flushed from how close they were. “I apologize for tripping in to you.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” replied Pippin with a smile. He then stood up and held out his hand. She took it and allowed him to haul her to her feet. “We should probably get you home so you can change though.”

 

“You’re right,” she agreed albeit begrudgingly.

 

“But first we need to locate that pretty shoe you lost,” he realized, gazing down at her feet.

 

“Yes, except I cannot recall precisely where it got stuck in the mud,” Emily admitted, looking up at the massive hill. “It could be anywhere.”

 

“Do not fret, my lady. I will fetch the item in question and return it to thee,” Pippin assured her before bounding up the hill.

 

The young hobbit smiled. _I am glad I chose to wear shoes though I receive unkind remarks from the villagers who perceive me as strange._

Emily spared one last glance at Pippin who was hopping up and down the hill’s slope then made her way to the water where she did her best to clean herself up and soak her feet. Sometime later, Pippin returned and delivered her shoe to her.

 

“Thank you,” she said as he placed it on her foot. “There are few others who would display such kindness towards me.”

 

“What do you mean?” inquired Pippin.

 

Emily cocked a dark eyebrow at him. “You truly do not know how most of the villagers treat me as an outsider who they fear because I am different? How they laugh at the fact that I like to wear pretty shoes such as these which Uncle has specially made for me?”

 

“No,” acknowledged Pip. “I try to pay them no mind since all they seem to care about is spreading untruths regarding anyone who is different than them. That is why I enjoy your company for you, like Merry and Frodo, do not decide who a person is before you meet them which is why it troubles me but does not surprise me they treat you so. What they need to do is become familiar with you for then they will see how kind and thoughtful you are.”

 

“You think I am kind and thoughtful?” murmured Emily, touched by his little speech. “And here I was convinced you were merely humoring me because I am Frodo’s sister.”

 

Pippin sighed and shook his head, smiling slightly. “I really must be a fool to not have realized my intentions haven’t been clear. It probably would have been easier to speak them aloud but I was afraid of how you would respond.”

 

Emily laughed, not at him, but at the entire situation. _This whole time we’ve desired the same thing. We were merely too afraid to be forward with each other but now…_ “What are your intentions, Master Peregrin?”

 

“To ask you to be my lady and attend Bilbo’s and Frodo’s party with me this evening,” he told her, a little shyly.

 

“I would be honored to accompany you and be your lady, Fool of a Took,” she responded, fondly using the term Gandalf called him. “First, I am going to need to get out of this ruined dress.”

 

“Then let me escort you to Bag End,” he suggested, offering his arm.

 

“You can be quite the gentleman when you want to,” she remarked teasingly as she placed her hand on his arm and they ascended the hill.

 

“It helps when there’s a beautiful lady,” Pippin replied with a lopsided grin making Emily roll her eyes good naturedly as they continued on their way to Bag End.

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

The sun had begun to set by the time they reached Bag End and found Bilbo and Gandalf smoking outside.

 

“Well hullo, my dear Emily!” called Bilbo who appeared to be in high spirits. “And Peregrin Took as well! This is a pleasant surprise.”

 

“‘Tis indeed,” agreed the wizard. “But what, may I inquire, occurred to your dress, Lady Baggins?”

 

“I lost one of my shoes in a patch of mud and tumbled down a hill,” Emily explained, flushing slightly. “Pippin was kind enough to assist me.”

 

“I had asked Emily to accompany me to my favorite fishing spot,” Pippin clarified further. “All things considered, I’d say the plan went well even though we did not get the chance to fish.”

 

“I see,” murmured Bilbo, stroking his chin thoughtfully before smiling. “I’m glad to hear you had a pleasant day, my dear.”

 

“Thank you, Uncle,” Emily replied, smiling back. “Now I really must go get changed for the party. Please excuse me.”

 

“Then I shall go prepare as well,” announced Pippin. “Would it be alright if I returned in an hour?”

 

Emily glanced at Bilbo who inclined his head. “That would be lovely.”

 

The Fool of a Took grinned and bowed to her before bouncing away like a wild hare.

 

“I told you they would come together, didn’t I?” Bilbo was saying to Gandalf as he sucked on his pipe and blew out a smoke ring. “You didn’t believe me.”

 

“No, I did believe you. I was only beginning to wonder if my efforts to get them acquainted were going to be wasted as time was beginning to drag on,” the old wizard corrected him.

 

“But Gandalf,” interjected Emily causing them to look at her. “Frodo was the one who introduced us, wasn’t he?”

 

Gandalf winked and drew on his pipe before blowing out a smoky ship which sailed through Bilbo’s ring.

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

“So he finally came to his senses,” remarked Frodo, greeting Emily and Pippin as they made their way through the crowd.

 

“Yes, well, there’s a reason Gandalf calls me ‘Fool of a Took’,” Pippin replied good naturedly.

 

“Indeed,” agreed Frodo. “May I borrow my sister for a moment?”

 

Pippin looked at Emily who nodded. “I will go see what Merry is up to then and rejoin you later.”

 

“Thank you,” she murmured, watching him go before returning her attention to Frodo. “What is wrong?”

 

“It’s Uncle,” he revealed, leading her to a place where they could speak in private. “He’s been acting strange of late.”

 

“I’ve noticed it too,” she said. “I feel as if something momentous is going to occur.”

 

“What should we do?” Frodo inquired of her.

 

“What can we do?” responded Emily. “We won’t know what the moment is until it occurs. For now, let us enjoy ourselves. It is his 111th birthday.”

 

“You are right,” he agreed and they made their way back to the party where they danced and then located their uncle as a dragon appeared in the sky. Frodo grabbed his sister and uncle and pushed them down to the ground as the dragon flew over their heads and burst apart in the sky.

 

 _It was one of Gandalf’s fireworks_ , realized Emily, groaning inwardly. _And I believe I know who the culprits are as well as where I can find them._

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

“Somehow I knew you would be here, Peregrin Took,” remarked Emily as she stood in the entrance of the tent Gandalf was having Pippin and Merry wash dishes with her arms crossed over her chest. “How could you be so foolish? Someone could have gotten hurt!”

 

Pippin bowed his head as he continued to scrub the plate he held. “I only wanted to entertain everyone.”

 

Merry nodded, depositing a stack of dishes in front of Gandalf. “We didn’t mean to cause a ruckus.”

 

Emily sighed and took a seat in a chair next to Pippin. “It is a good thing no one was injured. Please be more careful next time.”

 

“I will,” he promised her with a lopsided grin.

 

Emily smiled back before turning at the sound of raised voices to see her uncle walk up onto a stage.

 

“Speech!” urged the voices. “Speech!”

 

“My dear Bagginses and Boffins,” began Bilbo once the crowd had quieted down. “Tooks and Brandybucks, Grubbs, Chubs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles and Proudfoots. Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday!

 

“Alas, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbit. I don’t know half of you half as well as I would like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve,” he continued as the crowd tried to figure out what he meant. Emily felt a chill run down her spine as Bilbo’s expression suddenly changed. “I, uh, I h-have things to do. I regret to announce-this is The End. I am going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell.”

 

Bilbo then disappeared causing the crowd to erupt in confusion.

 

“He’s really going through with it,” murmured Emily to herself as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Goodbye, Uncle.”

 

**A/N: And there you have it! Hope you all enjoyed. This is just a taste of what is to come so until next time, read review and show the love!**


	2. The One Ring

Disclaimer: I do not own _Lord of the Rings_. I do own Emily

 

**A/N: Welcome to the second chapter of _For My Brother_ where Frodo and Emily will learn the truth about Bilbo’s ring which will force them to leave their home as dark forces pursue them. So without further ado, here goes. Enjoy! **

****

“What just happened, Emily?” demanded Merry abandoning his post and walking over to her. “I know your uncle is odd but this…”

 

“Merry,” interrupted Pippin shaking his head at his friend. “Can you not see how upset she is?”

 

Merry glanced at Emily who continued to cry silently and sighed before noticing one of their companions was not there. “And now it seems Gandalf has vanished as well.”

 

Emily turned around to discover he was right. The wizard was nowhere to be found. _He must have followed Uncle back to Bag End._

“Emily,” called a familiar voice. It was Frodo. His cheeks were flushed and he was out of breath as if he had been running. “I need you to help me calm our startled guests.”

 

The young hobbit bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted to go see their uncle but knew her brother was right. They had to restore order to the crowd before anyone was hurt so Emily took a deep breath and nodded. “Of course.”

 

It took a couple of hours until the party goers were content that it had merely been one of Bilbo’s silly tricks and went home. The siblings then made sure the venue was cleaned up before hurrying home.

 

“Bilbo!” called Frodo as he opened the door to see their uncle’s ring on the floor. He picked it up and held it in his palm then spied Gandalf peering into the fire thoughtfully. “He’s really gone, hasn’t he? He talked about it for so long…”

 

“But why would he leave his ring behind?” murmured Emily gazing down at the item in question as they walked over to the wizard who smoked his pipe. “Gandalf?”

 

Gandalf stirred as if waking from a dream to see Frodo holding the ring. He looked up at the hobbit in wonder. “Bilbo’s ring.”

 

The wizard rose to his feet and grabbed an envelope which he had Frodo deposit the ring in. He then sealed the envelope and handed it back to Frodo. “Bilbo has gone to stay with the elves. He’s left you Bag End along with all of its possessions.”

 

 _To leave the ring though,_ thought Emily as Gandalf made to depart. “Where are you going?”

 

“There are questions,” he replied. “Questions that need answering.”

 

“But you’ve only just arrived,” protested Frodo. “I don’t understand.”

 

“Neither do I,” Gandalf admitted, facing them. He laid a hand on Frodo’s shoulder. “Keep it secret. Keep it secret.”

 

And then the wizard was gone.

 

“What do you suppose that was all about?” asked Frodo.

 

“I’m not sure,” said Emily, peering down at the envelope in his hand. “But I have a strange feeling Uncle’s ring is not what we thought it was.”

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

For a while everything appeared to revert to normal until one evening when Pippin dropped Emily off at Bag End where she encountered Frodo and they strode up to their front door together.

 

“Frodo,” murmured Emily softly as she came to a halt. He glanced at her questioningly. “Did you leave the door open?”

 

“No,” he responded, pausing as he too noticed the door was ajar. “Perhaps it is Gandalf.”

 

“Maybe,” mused Emily as they entered their hobbit hole which looked as if a maelstrom had visited it. Chairs had been turned over, cabinets and drawers ripped open, and there were papers everywhere, billowing in the wind coming from an open window.

 

Emily and Frodo stared at their ransacked house when a hand suddenly shot out from the darkness behind them and grabbed Frodo by his shoulder, spinning him around.

 

“Is it secret? Is it safe?!” demanded a distressed Gandalf. His eyes were wild.

 

 _He means Uncle’s ring,_ realized Emily as Frodo went to retrieve the item while Gandalf hovered near him, jumping at the smallest noise or shadow. _It’s as if he expects us to be attacked at any moment._

“Ah!” said Frodo as he uncovered the envelope he had hidden in the bottom of a chest and handed it to Gandalf. The wizard wasted no time in throwing the parcel on the fire Emily had prepared. “What are you doing?!”

 

Gandalf did not answer instead he picked up a pair of tongs and lifted the ring out of the fire before offering it to Frodo. “Hold out your hand, Frodo. It’s quite cool.”

 

Frodo frowned but obeyed and caught the ring, examining it.

 

“Can you see anything?” inquired Gandalf, pacing a few steps away.

 

“Nothing,” said Frodo. “I see nothing.”

 

The wizard sighed with relief.

 

“Wait,” continued Frodo causing the old man to pause. “There are markings. Some sort of Elvish. I can’t read them.”

 

“There are few who can. The language is that of Mordor which I will not utter here,” explained Gandalf turning to face them. “In the common tongue it means ‘One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them’!”

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

 _The One Ring,_ thought Emily, staring at the golden circle that now laid on their kitchen table wearily. _And Uncle found it in Gollum’s cave._

The three friends sat around the table as Gandalf explained how the Dark Lord Sauron had endured, or at least his spirit had, after his legendary battle with Isildur and was currently amassing his strength at Barad-dûr.

 

“So what you are saying is all Sauron requires to regain his physical form and power is the Ring?” surmised Emily, feeling cold.

 

Gandalf nodded. “He is seeking it.”

 

“Alright then,” said Frodo, grabbing the Ring and rising from his chair. “We put it away! We never speak of it again. No one knows it’s here, do they Gandalf?”

 

Frodo glanced back at the wizard who was regarding him sadly. “Do they, Gandalf?”

 

“There is one other who knew about Bilbo and the Ring,” he admitted. “I searched everywhere for the creature Gollum but the enemy found him first. I don’t know how long they tortured him but amidst the endless screams and babbles they were able to discern two words: Shire and Baggins.”

 

“Shire, Baggins, but that would lead them here!” cried Frodo in dismay. He then thrust the Ring at Gandalf. “Take it! You must take it!”

 

Fear flashed across the old man’s face as he took a step backwards. “You cannot offer me this Ring.”

 

“I’m giving it to you!” insisted Frodo.

 

“Don’t tempt me, Frodo!” shouted Gandalf making both of the hobbits quail. He looked at their frightened faces and took a deep breath. “Understand this, my dear hobbits. I would use this Ring to do good but through me it would wield a terrible power.”

 

“But it cannot stay in the Shire!” protested Frodo.

 

“No,” agreed Gandalf. “No, it cannot.”

 

“What must I do?” inquired Frodo.

 

“What must we do?” corrected Emily causing him to stare at her. The female hobbit cocked a dark eyebrow at her brother. “You’re not the only one who shares Uncle’s name, Frodo Baggins, thus the enemy will be searching for me as well. Besides do not think for a moment that I will sit idly by while dark forces hunt you down.”

 

Frodo grinned. “Sauron’s men won’t stand a chance with you by my side.”

 

Emily smiled back and they returned their attention to Gandalf who proclaimed they should leave the Shire and leave quickly. They hastened to pack their bags and throw on traveling clothes before grasping their walking sticks.

 

“Head for the village of Bree,” the wizard instructed them. “I’ll be waiting for you there at the inn of the Prancing Pony.”

 

“Where are you going?” asked Emily.

 

“I must seek out the head of my order. He is both wise and powerful,” explained Gandalf. “Trust me, he’ll know what to do. Make sure you two stay off the main road.”

 

“We can cut across country easily enough,” Frodo assured him as they finished their preparations and stood in front of the wizard.

 

“My dear Frodo and Emily, you can learn all there is to know about hobbits in one day but even after a hundred years they can still surprise you,” noted Gandalf, smiling softly. He suddenly frowned and ordered them to get down. The siblings hit the floor as the wizard walked slowly over to the open window and struck at something swiftly with his staff causing his target to cry out in pain. The old man then reached down, plucked up Samwise Gamgee, and threw him onto the desk. “Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping?!”

 

“I ain’t been dropping no eaves, sir, honest,” murmured Samwise, staring at the wizard in terror as he loomed over him. “I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you’ll follow me.”

 

“A little late to be trimming the verge, don’t you think?” replied Gandalf.

 

“I heard raised voices,” admitted Sam.

 

“What did you hear?” demanded Gandalf. “Speak!”

 

“N-nothing important,” yelped Samwise. “That is, I heard a good deal about a ring, and a Dark Lord, and something about the end of the world, but…Please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don’t hurt me. Don’t turn me into anything…unnatural.”

 

Emily and Frodo stared at each other, grinned, and rose to their feet as Gandalf reassured Sam he would not harm him for he had ‘a better use’ for him.

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

“Are you certain you do not wish to see Pippin before we depart?” queried Frodo while Samwise hurried to get ready for their journey as Gandalf had ordered him to. They stood off to the side with their heads bent together so no one would overhear them. “He’ll wonder why you left so suddenly.”

 

“Perhaps,” she mused, pulling her hair partially back so it was out of her face. “But if I revealed our plight it would place him in peril too. No, this is the best course of action if we are going to be rid of that accursed ring and save the Shire.”

 

“You are right,” concurred Frodo. “I am glad you are coming with me.”

 

“Of course I am coming with you. I would be even if my life weren’t in danger,” Emily told him. “For you are my brother and I will do everything I can to protect you.”

 

“And I you,” Frodo murmured as Sam completed his preparations.

 

It was nearly dawn when Gandalf the Grey led them out of Hobbiton and left them by the main road where they would take leave of each other.

 

“Is it safe?” inquired Gandalf, staring meaningfully at Frodo who laid a hand on his breast pocket. The wizard smiled sadly and bent down to Frodo’s level, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Never put it on or the forces of the Dark Lord will be drawn to you. Remember, the Ring wants to be found.”

 

Gandalf then climbed onto his horse and galloped away at a break neck pace. The three hobbits glanced after his retreating figure for a while before making their way through the countryside.

 

One day they had been passing through a corn field when Emily and Frodo had gone around a bend and had to run back in alarm when Sam, lost in thought, had cried out for them after realizing they were no longer in sight.

 

Samwise sighed in relief after they reunited, looking solely at Frodo. “I thought I’d lost you.”

 

“What do you mean?” queried Frodo.

 

“It’s just something Gandalf said,” explained Sam.

 

“What did he say?” demanded Frodo.

 

“‘Don’t you lose him, Samwise Gamgee’,” said Sam. “And I don’t mean to.”

 

“Sam, we’re still in the Shire,” pointed out Frodo. “What could-!”

 

The three travelling companions were suddenly knocked onto their backs by Merry and Pippin.

 

“Hullo, Emily,” greeted Pippin as he stood up and helped her to her feet before noticing her brother was there as well. “And Frodo too!”

 

“Pippin,” murmured Emily, feeling conflicted. Normally she would have been pleased to see him but they had been trying to leave the Shire without anyone else getting involved for, as she had told Frodo, she did not want to put Pippin in harms way. The female hobbit then spied the vegetables in Pippin’s hands as he and Merry hurried to retrieve them from the ground and sighed. “Peregrin Took, not again!”

 

The five hobbits’ heads shot up at the sound of yelling and the sight of Farmer Maggot’s hoe heading towards them before bolting in the opposite direction.

 

“I don’t see why he’s so upset,” proclaimed Merry as they ran.

 

“You’re stealing crops he labored to cultivate,” Emily reminded him. “How do you expect him to react?”

 

“It’s only a couple of carrots,” he argued.

 

“And some cabbages,” added Pippin, rattling off a few other items.

 

“Yes, Pippin,” yelled Merry, cutting him off. “My point is he’s clearly overreacting.”

 

Emily rolled her brown eyes and was about to discuss the point further when they reached the edge of the hill, tripped into each other, and rolled down its slope to land in a big heap.

 

They pulled apart and Emily headed over to Frodo while the others gathered around a bunch of mushrooms nearby. “Are you alright?”

 

He nodded then looked around them. They were on the main road.

 

“We should get off the road,” he told them calmly as a scream of wind rushed towards them. “Get off the road!”

 

They scrambled to grab their possessions and hid behind a giant root of a massive oak tree. Bugs slithered around them as a tall black rider appeared on his horse and stopped in front of them, dismounting.

 

Emily felt like her blood had frozen and she could not breath as the cloaked figure knelt on the root, grasping it with a gloved hand. It sniffed the air making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She glanced over at Frodo who had taken out the Ring and was fondling it, his eyes threatening to roll back in his head.

 

The female hobbit reached out and held his right hand with her left while Merry threw a carrot causing the rider to head in that direction. They then hurried back into the countryside as night descended.

 

“What is going on?” asked Pippin as they paused for a moment. He stared questioningly at Emily but she had been watching Frodo worriedly ever since he had taken out the Ring.

 

“That rider was looking for something or someone,” remarked Merry, walking over to the siblings. “Frodo?”

 

“Get down!” commanded Pippin sharply resulting in the hobbits collapsing to the ground as they spied the rider in the distance.

 

“Emily and I have to leave the Shire,” Frodo revealed to Merry. “Sam, Emily, and I must get to Bree.”

 

Merry inclined his head. “Buckleberry Ferry, this way!”

 

He led them to the ferry as more riders materialized to chase them. Sam, Merry, and Pippin reached the raft first and already had it untied from the dock when they realized Frodo and Emily were still on the shore, running towards them with the Riders close behind. They leapt off the grass and barely made it onto the ferry, knocking Sam and Pippin over in the process.

 

“Are you alright?” Pippin inquired of Emily after she had sat up so he was not lying down.

 

Emily shook her head, not trusting herself to speak, and embraced him tightly. Tears rolled down her cheeks as he hugged her back.

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

It was pouring by the time they made it to Bree and knocked on its massive gate. They waited, huddled together, as a man hooded and cloaked opened the entrance and swung a lantern in their faces.

 

“What is your business in Bree?” he demanded.

 

“We wish to stay at the inn,” Frodo informed him. “Our business is our own.”

 

“Alright sir, I meant no offense,” replied the gatekeeper as he moved aside to let them in. “It’s my job to ask questions after nightfall.”

 

The five companions trudged through the muddy village and arrived at the Prancing Pony which was loud and boisterous.

 

Frodo strode up to the desk that was exceedingly taller than him. “Excuse me.”

 

The innkeeper leaned over the edge of the desk and grinned down at him. “Good evening little masters and lady. I have some nice hobbit sized rooms available, Mr.-?”

 

“Underhill,” said Frodo. “My name’s Underhill. We’re friends of Gandalf the Grey. Can you tell him we’ve arrived?”

 

“Gandalf? Gandalf,” murmured the innkeeper for a moment before his eyes lit up with recognition. “Ah yes, I remember! Elderly chap, long gray beard, pointy hat. Haven’t seen him for six months.”

 

The hobbits turned to each other in despair.

 

“What do we do now?” whispered Sam.

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

“Sam, he’ll be here. He’ll come,” Frodo assured him after they had settled down at a table with some drinks and food.

 

“Hopefully soon,” murmured Emily from where she sat next to Pippin as Merry returned with yet another mug of ale.

 

“What is that?” queried Pippin.

 

“This, my friend, is a pint,” Merry told him.

 

“It comes in pints?” breathed Pippin, rising out of his seat. “I’m getting one.”

 

“You’ve had a whole half already!” yelled Sam but Pippin was already gone. He glanced meaningfully at Emily but she merely shrugged her shoulders and resumed picking at her food. The gardener sighed and nodded towards a man sitting in the corner. “That fella’s done nothin’ but stare at us since we arrived.”

 

Frodo stared at the stranger as did Emily but the man continued to smoke his pipe unperturbed. He then grabbed the attention of the innkeeper. “Excuse me, who is that man over there?”

 

The innkeeper looked in the direction he was pointing before returning his attention to the four hobbits. “He’s one of them Rangers. Dangerous folk they are—wandering the wilds. What his right name is I’ve never heard, but around here, he’s known as Strider.”

 

 _I wonder,_ thought Emily but before she could ponder her partially formed query further the sound of Pippin loudly saying her and Frodo’s names caused her head to jerk up. Pippin was sitting at the bar, gesturing towards them. The female hobbit cursed softly while Frodo leapt down from the bench and pushed his way through the crowd.

 

Frodo grasped Pippin’s arm but was thrown off resulting in the hobbit flying backwards as the Ring flew out of his hand. Frodo hit the floor and reached out to catch the Ring which slid onto his finger causing him to disappear.

 

Emily attempted to rush over to where her brother had fallen when she was pushed aside by Strider who hauled Frodo to his feet the moment he reappeared then forced him to walk upstairs. _I hope I’m right about him or Frodo is in terrible danger._

The female hobbit followed Sam, Merry, and Pippin upstairs to the room where the Ranger had taken Frodo. Sam led the way, bursting through the door with his fists raised and threatened the man’s well-being.

 

“Why don’t we all take a moment to relax?” suggested Emily, moving forward so she was standing between Sam and Strider. She stared solely at the man who had dark hair and blue eyes. “You are a friend of Gandalf the Grey, aren’t you?”

 

The man smirked and sheathed his sword. “I am.”

 

“What made you ask that, Emily?” inquired Frodo.

 

“I remembered stories Uncle used to tell us about the Rangers and how they were a noble order that strived to ensure peace and help wherever they were needed,” she explained. “I also learned how Rangers are excellent trackers so it would make sense if Gandalf had enlisted Strider’s services when he had been searching for Gollum. Then he must have arranged for Strider to meet us here at the inn.”

 

“Your sister is correct,” confirmed Strider. “We can no longer wait for the wizard. I know what hunts you.”

 

~ For My Brother ~

 

The sounds of shrieking echoed from the Prancing Pony as the black Riders discovered their prey had eluded them once more and filed into the street. Emily watched from where she sat on a bed next to Frodo in an inn across from the Pony as a chill ran down her spine.

 

“What are they?” Frodo asked Strider who stood vigil at the window while Sam, Merry, and Pippin jumped awake.

 

“They were once men,” Strider revealed. “Great kings of men who were tempted by Sauron and one by one fell into darkness. They are the Nazgul, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. They will never stop hunting you.”

 

The next morning Strider led them into the wild.

 

“Where are we going?” inquired Emily, jogging to keep up with him.

 

“To Rivendell,” he replied causing Sam to whisper excitedly for he was fascinated with the elves as Strider glanced down at her. “You have a stout heart.”

 

“Do I?” she murmured, looking back at the boys. “All I want is to keep them safe but I am powerless against those wraiths.”

 

“Then you’ll have to become stronger,” Strider stated matter-of-factly.

 

 _Yes but how?_ She wondered as they continued on their journey. They eventually stopped at an edifice that at one time had been a watch tower and made camp. Emily wrapped her cloak tightly around her as a cold wind whirled around them.

 

“These are for you,” said Strider, tossing each of them a small sword and scabbard. “I’m going to have a look around.”

 

Emily watched as he disappeared before lying down on the hard ground next to Frodo. For a while the siblings slept until they were awakened by the sounds of voices and a crackling fire. They jumped to their feet as they discovered Sam, Merry, and Pippin had built a fire.

 

“What are you doing?!” demanded Frodo.

 

“Cookin’ some nice crispy bacon,” replied Merry with a smile.

 

“We left some for you two,” added Sam.

 

“Put it out, you fools!” ordered Frodo, dousing the fire but it was too late.

 

The Ringwraiths’ screeches broke through the night making the hair on Emily’s arms rise. She unsheathed her sword and stood in front of her brother protectively as the servants of Sauron swept towards them. _Where is Strider? I have to do something._

Emily glanced back at the others and shouted for them to run to the top. The hobbits stood in a circle with their backs facing each other as the Riders approached them.

 

They struggled to defend themselves but the wraiths knocked them aside with ease. Panicking Frodo put on the Ring resulting in one of the Ringwraiths drawing his blade and striding towards him. The Rider then stabbed Frodo in his shoulder.

 

Frodo removed the Ring and screamed in anguish as Strider suddenly appeared and drew the monsters away.

 

“Frodo!” cried Emily, hurrying over to her brother’s side. Sam joined them. The female hobbit examined Frodo’s wound as he continued to yell and gasp. She glanced at Strider and begged him to help Frodo.

 

The Ranger strode over to them and bent down to pick up the wraith’s blade, grimacing as it disappeared. “He’s been stabbed by a Morgul-blade. This is beyond my ability to heal. He needs Elvish medicine.”

 

“But we’re six days from Rivendell,” protested Sam as Strider picked up Frodo. The hobbits hurried after him. “He’ll never make it!”

 

“What else can we do?” pointed out Emily, feeling horrid. She had sworn to protect her brother but had been unable to do anything against the wraiths. She cursed silently as Frodo screamed for Gandalf. _Hold on Frodo. Please._

**A/N: And there you have it! Next up, Rivendell and the formation of the Fellowship as Emily strives to grow stronger. Until then, read review and show the love!**


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